392 
NATURE 
[January 18, 19177 
place in the curriculum were not regarded by him 
as insuperable difficulties. Original papers, many 
of which bore the names of students to whom he 
had communicated the spirit of research, flowed 
in steady succession from St. Andrews. Fifteen 
years ago he put into operation a scheme which 
had long been in his mind. He presented to the 
University a fully equipped research laboratory. 
This building, although erected in memory of his 
uncle, will always be regarded in St. Andrews 
as the outward symbol of Purdie’s life-work. 
With rare foresight the laboratories were made 
self-supporting by means of a generous endow- 
ment. This not only enables students to work 
free of charge, but can be used to assist them 
to remain at the University after graduation. In 
the best sense of the expression, Purdie founded 
a “research school.” His publications on optical 
activity, on the process of alkylation, and on the 
chemistry of sugars, apart from their intrinsic 
importance, must be regarded as models of 
accurate scientific work. 
Not only the successful student, or those who 
made chemistry a special study, drew inspiration 
from Purdie. His arresting personality, his 
eloquence in the lecture-room, and his philosophic 
treatment of the subject attracted men from every 
faculty, who now remember gratefully all they 
owe to him. 
The severe handicap of periodic attacks of 
asthma he bore uncomplainingly and with charac- 
teristic cheerfulness. His sympathies were im- 
mense; his door was never closed, his help never 
denied, to one in trouble. His tastes were simple 
and his interests varied. During vacations he 
travelled extensively or plied his rod on Highland 
lochs, and, as was once said of him, “on the 
links he played a good game—for a professor.” 
Although he retired about eight years ago, he’ 
may be said to have died in harness, for the 
department he created and the work of the Uni- 
versity he loved remained absorbing interests to 
the end. 
Recognition and honours came to him, and he 
must have had the satisfaction of looking on his 
work and finding it good; but what he probably 
prized most in his official life was the warm feeling 
he aroused in his students—a feeling which no 
St. Andrews man would wish to remain unex-, 
jeer 
pressed. 
DR. N. H. J. MILLER. 
1? is with deep regret that we record the sudden 
death of Dr. N. H. J. Miller, at Harpenden, 
on Friday, January 12, from heart failure. Dr. 
Miller had worked for many years at Rothamsted ; 
he began under Lawes and Gilbert, having gone 
there in 1887 direct from college, and continued 
up to the day of his death. His chief work was 
the measurement of the amount of the combined 
nitrogen brought down in the rain, and of the 
amounts_of nitric nitrogen washed out from the 
soil. Both measurements were indispensable for 
the settlement of important controversies in agri- 
cultural chemistry. 
NO. 2464, VOL. 98] 
Liebig had argued that plants derived their 
nitrogen supply from the ammonia brought down 
in the rain, and supported his view by aralyses. 
which seemed to bear it out. He therefore urged 
that nitrogen need not be artificially supplied. 
“Tf the soil be suitable,” he wrote, “if it con- 
tains a sufficient quantity of alkalis, phosphates, 
and sulphates, nothing will be wanting. 
plants will derive their ammonia from the atmo- 
sphere as they do carbonic acid.” Had this view 
not been promptly controverted, it might have 
done untold harm to the new science and industry 
of artificial manuring by giving it a wrong turn 
at the outset, for Liebig’s position was very 
exalted. 
Lawes and Gilbert were unable to accept this 
statement, because they knew that in practice plants 
did require nitrogenous fertilisers, but they were 
equally unable to refute it because they had only 
isolated analyses of rain-water to go upon. The 
pioneering work of Warington had shown its im- 
probability, but only a long-continued series of 
analyses could finally dispose of it. This Miller 
undertook, and he continued the work without 
intermission for thirty years. A large gauge was 
erected at Rothamsted, 1/1ooo of an acre in 
extent, and he himself analysed a sample of every 
collection of rain. The results completely and 
finally disposed of Liebig’s erroneous view, and 
they have provided a remarkably continuous set 
of observations on the composition of rain which 
is never likely to be excelled. Nowhere else is 
there an unbroken series of analyses extending over 
so long a period made by one and the same man. 
The analysis of the drainage water settled 
equally conclusively a difficult and fundamental 
problem in soil chemistry. It was known that 
uncropped soils suffered a loss of nitrogen through 
the effect of weather, but the extent and nature 
of the loss were not known. In any single year 
it is too small to be investigated, and the only 
hope of success is to follow the change for a long 
period on the same plot of land. This Miller did 
on the drain gauges. All the drainage water was 
collected and analysed and the nitrate determined ; 
the results showed that the land lost in the form 
of nitrates from 35 to 4o lb. of nitrogen per 
acre per annum. After the work had continued 
for many years all these annual losses were added 
together, and a sample of soil was taken for the 
determination of the total nitrogen; this was com- 
pared with the initial amount so as to give the 
loss. 
those who had followed the experiment, the loss 
of nitrogen thus directly determined agreed within 
10 per cent. with the amount of nitrate washed 
out. The result not only demonstrated the 
accuracy of the working, but it showed that in 
these conditions the loss is mainly due to the 
leaching out of nitrate. Miller’s detailed analyses 
show how the loss is distributed and provide a 
wealth of material for discussing the many im- 
portant problems connected with it. 
The work was tedious and would have been 
impossible for anyone with less patience and in- 
‘The 
To the great satisfaction of Dr. Miller and — 
